


Now Or Never

by kradam_12321 (kay_elizabeth_roxx)



Series: I Can't Quit You Baby [6]
Category: Adam Lambert (Musician), American Idol RPF, Kris Allen (Musician)
Genre: Coming Out, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-07
Updated: 2011-01-07
Packaged: 2017-10-14 13:03:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/149488
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kay_elizabeth_roxx/pseuds/kradam_12321
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Adam Lambert slogs through the worst kind of attention, and Kris Allen holds on to his man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Now Or Never

Adam rounded the school building after football practice was over, hitching his duffel bag up over his shoulder. Kris was exactly where he had expected him to be: sitting in the grass with his back to the wall, school books spread out around him.

The backside of the school was deserted, and the brunet jumped up as soon as he spotted Adam, laying the book he'd been reading on the ground. The smile that curved Kris' lips made Adam's heart skip a beat--it was that one reserved just for _him_.

"Hey," Kris smiled, as Adam approached, and the red-haired boy grinned back, dropping his bag into the grass.

"Hey there," he returned, wrapping a warm arm around the other boy's waist, and Kris curled a hand against his lower back, smiling into their hello kiss.

Neither saw the camera flash.

The second kiss was a little beyond hello, and Adam pulled away with a grin.

"Ready to head out?" he asked, and Kris nodded, gathering his things and handing Adam his bag. The quarterback shouldered it, and the lone figure lurking around the corner managed to slip away before they rounded it, the two boys laughing with the briefest of touches.

~

Kris lay sprawled out on his stomach across the bed, biting at the end of his pen and staring perplexedly down at his textbook. Adam was sitting by him, doodling in the margins of his English homework--they were in the midst of their customary after-school homework session, before Kris' parents got home from work.

"I'll never understand math," Kris sighed, dropping his head down against the book in defeat, and Adam sympathetically petted his hair, nails scratching lightly at his scalp.

  
 

“You're better at it than me,” Adam pointed out. “I'm lucky to be passing.”

  
 

He paused, then, smiling mischievously. "And anyway, babe.... I could definitely think of a better way to spend your time."

Kris looked confusedly up at him, then gave a crooked little grin, finally realizing just how close his face was to Adam's crotch.

"Really? How's that?" Kris asked, cupping the hardening bulge in his jeans, and Adam smiled down at his wicked little kitten, raising an eyebrow.

"Mmm.... I think you have just the right idea, babe," Adam rumbled, low in his throat, and Kris nuzzled his face against the denim in reply, mouthing his thick length through the fabric.

Adam stroked a thumb across his lover's cheekbone, cupping his face, and Kris teasingly trailed his tongue up the zipper of his jeans, pressing in against the hard flesh beneath.

"I've completely corrupted you, you know," Adam said, as Kris worked at the button of his jeans. "Innocent, sweet little Kris Allen no more."

Kris giggled, looking up at him from under his lashes, and Adam leaned down to kiss him, slipping his tongue into his mouth. They pulled away with a soft, wet sound a few minutes later, a thin band of saliva connecting their bottom lips, and then Kris was tugging the zipper of his jean's down tooth-by-tooth and reaching inside to pull out his cock.

Kris sighed, nuzzling his face against the flushed, thick erection that curved up to greet him. He pressed a soft kiss to the smooth, flared head, dipping his tongue into the slit to collect the precome beading there, and Adam moaned, watching him with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Yeah, baby, just like that," Adam encouraged, curling a hand around the back of Kris' head as the smaller boy sucked him into his mouth, making soft little noises around his cock.

Kris pulled off to tongue the head, eyes softly closed as he parted his red, swollen lips, and Adam slowly guided his cock back between them, watching that sweet little mouth stretch thin around him.

That was when his pants started vibrating.

Kris' mouth popped off of his cock, his eyes hazy and confused, and Adam sighed deeply, digging his cellphone out of his pocket. He paused, staring perplexedly down at the caller ID.

"Scarlett?" he answered, his eyebrows bunching together. "What's up? You never call."

He paused, the crease between his eyebrows deepening as he listened. "Can't it wait, like, five minutes? But--"

He gave a silent sigh, petting Kris' hair. "Okay, all right. I'll be there in five."

He hung up then, thumbing Kris' reddened bottom lip.

"She asked me to meet her at the school in five," he reported, and Kris looked confusedly up at him, curling his hand around Adam's thigh. "She acted like it was important."

Kris pouted a little, and Adam leaned down to kiss him, tasting himself on his boy's tongue.

"We'll finish this when we come back, baby," Adam promised, tucking himself back into his pants and zipping up.

Kris agreed, pecking him softly on the lips before following him down the stairs.

~

Scarlett was sitting on the railing outside of the school waiting for them, and she jumped up as soon as they were in sight, rushing towards them.

Adam was immediately concerned--her eyes were wide and anxious, and she held a cellphone in one shaky hand.

"Adam, oh—" she gasped, taking a deep breath and holding out the phone to him. "Someone.... Someone just sent me this picture."

Adam took it, a sick feeling of premonition settling into the pit of his stomach. Sure enough, the small image on the screen was like a blow to his chest--abrupt, shocking. Crushing.

Kris was stretched up onto his tippy-toes, a sweet little smile curving his lips. Adam's back was to the camera, but his ginger hair was tousled, his varsity jacket proudly displaying his football number. Kris' hand was curled against his back, pulling him closer, closer.

Their lips were softly, obviously connected in a kiss.

"Oh my god," Adam breathed, his eyes round and stunned--the calm before the storm. "How.... How many people got this?"

"Everyone, Adam," she whispered, eyes glistening with tears. "E-everyone."

"Who the fuck took it?" Adam demanded, anger beginning to seep into his voice, and Scarlett's lower lip trembled a little.

"Drew."

Adam's head dipped, then, his teeth clenching as his hand spasmed around the cellphone.

"No," he growled, shoulders shaking with rage. "No, he wouldn't.... He...."

The denials stuck in his throat as the proof blared up at him, sharp and clear. The ruins of his life, contained in a few hundred tiny pixels.

" _Fuck_ ," he moaned, once it had sunk in, and he reared back, the cellphone cracking against the pavement in a crunch of plastic. " _Fuck!_ "

His shoulders were shaking with rage, and his eyes blurred, stinging with tears. He was oblivious to the other two as his fists clenched at his side, knuckles going white with strain.

"I can't fucking believe--Goddammit _!_ " he shouted, and then he was stumbling around and running for home, his apocalypse following hot on his heels.

~

Kris stood frozen in place, his eyes wide and brimming with tears. He didn't know what was going on—he'd never seen Adam act like that.

He slowly walked over to the battered cellphone and picked it up, staring down at it in utter disbelief. There was a long crack splitting the middle of the screen, but it wasn't enough to conceal the image beneath it.

His throat contracted around an involuntary sob, and he brought a hand to his mouth, shoulders shaking.

"Oh my god.... Adam," he breathed, and then he was shoving the phone into Scarlett's hand, turning on his heel, and dashing after him.

~

Adam slammed his bedroom door behind him, looking for something, _anything at all_ to direct his rage at. His football equipment was quite the ironic target, and it flew across the room with the vicious kick he dealt it, lamp tumbling off the bedside table with a shattering of glass.

"Nngh!" he groaned, helpless, and he slumped back against the wall, slipping to the floor with his head buried in his hands. He couldn't even process what he had seen, let alone the implications of such a thing getting out.

Kris burst in after him in a panic, looking first at the destroyed room, then at Adam sitting curled on the ground, his broad shoulders trembling.

"Adam," he said, softly, voice wavering, and Adam shrank back from the sound of his voice, fingers clenching into his hair.

"Don't," Adam protested, his voice thick and gruff with pain. "Just don't. D-don't touch me. Leave me alone, all right?"

"Adam," Kris whispered, tears streaking down his cheeks, "Please.... Please don't push me away. Not.... Not now."

Adam looked up at him, ice-blue eyes swimming with tears, and then Kris was dropping to his knees beside him.

Adam sobbed once and pulled Kris into his arms, burying his face into his shoulder and letting everything out. Kris clutched at the back of his shirt, wetness painting his cheeks as he clung to his lover, pressing his face into his chest and just holding on.

Eventually Adam quieted, and Kris stroked his cheek, looking into his red, puffy eyes.

"It'll be okay, Adam," he murmured, tears gathering in the corner of his eyes, and Adam pulled him impossibly closer, arms wrapped tight around his waist.

"I hope so," he whispered, burying his face into his hair as trembling fingertips danced along his jaw line. "I really hope so."

~

Half an hour later, Kris was sitting in Adam's lap on the bed, their eyes red but dry as they faced each other.

"You could pass it off as photoshopped," Kris murmured, looking down as he idly played with Adam's long fingers. "It's only your back."

"But.... You wouldn't like that, would you?" Adam asked, and Kris bit his lip, shifting in his lap.

"Whatever is best for you, Adam, really--" Kris started, but Adam cut him off, forcing his gaze upwards with gentle fingertips under his chin.

"I may be an insensitive asshole sometimes," Adam murmured, "but I'm not stupid. You never wanted to hide this. And I....”

  
 

He paused, lowering his eyelashes. “And I kind of think this is the Universe's way of telling me to stop thinking about myself, and start thinking about _this_."

He paused, twining their hands together between their bodies. "And it's time for bashful little Kris Allen to stop being so damn selfless, all right?"

Kris smiled a little despite himself, shyly avoiding his gaze. "Okay."

"Because what was it you told me a few weeks ago?" Adam asked, and Kris leaned into their joined hands, pressing them between their chests.

"I just wanna be with you," he repeated, softly, and Adam nodded approvingly, brushing their lips together.

"It's gonna be a shitstorm," Adam murmured, breath washing warm over his lover's lips. "And it's gonna hurt like fuck. And I'm not gonna lie--I'm scared out of my mind. I wish it hadn't happened this way, but...just stay with me, okay?"

"Always," Kris whispered, hand curling around Adam's neck to hold him close, and Adam softly closed his eyes, tongue slipping out to taste his boyfriend's bottom lip.

"I don't care what anyone says," Adam mumbled, slipping his hand up under Kris' shirt to caress the soft, smooth flesh of his back. "This can't be a bad thing. What we have. It _can't._ "

"Adam," Kris breathed, voice wavering with emotion, and Adam tugged him closer, kissing his face.

"I love you," Adam whispered, into his mouth, and Kris wrapped his arms around his neck, deepening their kiss with a soft little noise.

~

Scarlett walked out of her house the next morning to find Adam waiting outside, leaning against his car.

"Adam...?" she asked, a little uncertainly, and Adam dropped his eyes, raking a hand roughly through his hair.

"Would you ride with me today?" he asked, finally, and her eyes softened.

"Of course, sweetie," she said, walking up and hugging him lightly. "How.... How are you?"

"All right," he said, smiling bravely. "I'm.... I'm sorry about your phone, by the way. I'll give you the cash for a new one, all right?"

"Oh, no, it's fine," she assured him, quickly, waving a hand. "I have a warranty."

"Oh," he said, then opened the door for her, gesturing inside. "Hop in."

He walked around and slid into the driver's seat, then, pulling out and turning towards school.

"Um.... Why didn't Kris ride with you?" she asked, cautiously, and Adam shrugged a little.

"We decided it would be best to go separately for the first day," he replied, smiling a little tightly. "But don't worry. We're.... We're fine."

His heart pounded in his chest as the school came into sight, expression visibly pinched, and Scarlett reached over, squeezing his knee.

"I'm here for you, babe," she assured him, and Adam gratefully nodded, taking a deep pull of air before opening the car door.

~

Kris hovered in a secluded corner of the entryway, eyes pointed towards the carpet. He knew that he wasn't the main object of interest in this scandal, but it was nevertheless hard to ignore the constant, furtive glances being shot his way.

A group of guys were standing a little ways away, talking quietly and looking over at him occasionally, and he flicked his eyes over towards them, biting his lip.

" _Kristopher!_ " a voice hissed into his ear, and then a hand was grabbing his arm and yanking him around the corner.

All his stunned mind could process was someone with cherry-red hair waving a cellphone in his face, and he caught Allison's wrist, trying to understand what she was saying.

" _What is this?!_ " she demanded, her voice high with glee as she wrenched out of his grip to wave the phone around some more. "Why didn't you tell me you were _making out_ with _Adam Lambert?_ "

Kris blushed and grabbed her phone, shutting it with a firm snap before returning it.

"About that," he said, tripping over his own words as she impatiently waited. "We've been kind of....um, dating for a while now. But he, he didn't want to tell anyone yet. So this is...kind of a shock?"

"OH MY GOD," she shouted, fluttering around him. "I knew it I knew it I--"

"Kris?" another voice asked, a little higher than normal, and Kris looked over to find Adam and Scarlett watching the frantic proceedings with wide eyes.

Allison interrupted any explanation by running up and hugging the quarterback, bouncing up onto the balls of her feet. Adam staggered backwards in surprise, and then Allison was letting him go with a blinding smile.

"I'll punch anyone who talks shit about you, 'kay?" she promised, before hugging Kris and quickly dashing off.

"Well," Adam said, after a long, stunned pause, "She was, um...excited."

Kris giggled a little; he couldn't help it. "Yeah, that's Alli."

"We should probably...head out," Adam said, then, looking uncertainly over his shoulder at the hallway teeming with arriving students, and Kris immediately sobered, nodding.

Adam hesitated for only a moment before stepping out into the rush, Scarlett on one side, Kris the other. Adam's heart was hammering in his chest, but he held his head high, daring anyone to laugh.

The sideways stares and whispers were unmistakable, however, filtering out from every corner of the hallway. He couldn't see any of his teammates around at the moment, but a few groups were standing around and mumbling among themselves, staring blatantly at him and Kris.

Adam returned the stares with blunt intensity, even as butterflies fluttered crazily in his stomach. _Don't let them see you affected by it. Don't let them win._

Kris' shoulders hunched under the weight of their glares, and he looked away, biting his lip. His fingers brushed against Adam's, and Adam captured them between his own, twining their hands together.

Their observers looked away.

~

Adam laid low in homeroom, thankful that none of his teammates were in the same class. His hope to continue the day like that was in vain—he couldn't help being cornered on the way to 1st period.

It was Joe that found him first.

"Please tell me this is some sick joke Drew cooked up," he said, lowly, brandishing his cellphone with the picture prominently displayed on the screen, and Adam looked away, dodging around him.

"It's not a joke," he muttered, and Joe caught his arm, pulling him back.

"That's all your gonna say?" Joe asked, incredulously. "I thought you defending Bell and whoever else was you bring chivalrous or whateverthefuck--but _Kris Allen_? When the _fuck_ did our star quarterback become a _queer?_ "

"I don't fucking know, Joe," Adam bit back, spinning around. "Maybe the day I was _born?_ I didn't want it to happen like this, but it did! And I refuse to deal with fucking _bigots_ anymore!"

Joe just looked at him, his lips pressed into a thin line. "I thought I _knew_ you, Lambert."

"Well, you don't," Adam mutttered, making to leave.

Joe's lip curled, and he pushed Adam back into the lockers, looking at him for a long moment before stalking away.

He knew everyone in sight was watching, and he turned around, ignoring the gazes trained on him as he disappeared into class.

~

Adam weaved through the hallways towards the cafeteria after 2nd period, mind already gone numb to the whispers. He was well used to be the center of attention--but never like _this._

A commotion in a dead-end hallway drew his attention, and he stopped dead, adrenaline rushing into his system at the sight that met his eyes.

Kris' small, trembling frame was backed flat against the lockers, his eyes wide with fright. Gathered around him were three guys in varsity jackets, and rage boiled low in Adam's stomach as he recognized Drew at the center of it.

"Are you proud of yourself for turning our star player into a _cocksucker?_ " Drew demanded, advancing on the smaller boy, his voice mocking and thick with malice. "I bet you jerk off to that picture I took of you two, you little--"

Adam was between them before Drew could get out the rest of his insult, pushing him away from Kris with a rough shove to the shoulders.

Drew stumbled back a step, but quickly regained his balance, teeth bared in fury.

"So now you're gonna turn on your teammates to defend this little faggot?" he spat, and Adam stood firm in front of Kris, shoulders set stiff.

"Don't call him that," Adam growled, eyes flashing, and Drew moved closer, all bulky intimidation.

"I'll call him whatever the fuck I want," he replied, spitting the words out with brutal defiance.

"Why the fuck would you _do_ this, Drew?" Adam demanded, his fists clenched. "Just for the sick pleasure of watching your plan unfold?"

"Because this school should know what kind of person is leading the football team on game day," Drew snapped back.

"And how the fuck does me being gay affect my football abilities? Please enlighten me," Adam requested, sarcastically, his eyes flashing between Drew and the two other guys, who were hanging back to watch.

"Because fags are pussies, asshole!" Drew spat, shoving him as Kris shrank further back against the row of lockers. "And _pussies_ don't lead _football_ teams!"

"What the fuck ever, Drew," Adam replied, trying to even his tone. “I don't give a shit what you call me--patronize me all you want. It sure shows what kind of character _you've_ got."

He paused, his eyes dangerous as he continued. "But don't you fucking _dare_ talk about Kris like that. And if you ever lay a hand on him, I can _guarantee_ you'll be off the team."

"Whatever, Lambert," Drew growled, storming away—the retreat should have felt like a victory, but it only settled sickly in Adam's stomach, his lips pinching.

He spun around once the otherr football player was gone, however, locking gazes with Kris, who was trembling against the lockers, his eyes wide and shining with tears.

"Oh, baby," Adam murmured, ushering him into the nearest bathroom with a hand on his back.

Luckily, it was deserted, and Kris broke down against the tile wall, tears spilling over the edge of his big, brown eyes.

Adam wrapped him into his arms with a soft little noise, cooing soothing words into his ear as Kris buried his face into his chest, shaking.

"It's okay, sweetheart," Adam murmured, running his fingers gently through his hair. "You're okay. Shh...."

"I thought he was gonna kill me," Kris sniffled, into his neck, and Adam cupped his face, meeting his shimmering eyes.

"Drew is nothing but a bully that likes to feel big and powerful," Adam assured him, firmly, rubbing a thumb under his boyfriend's eyes to wipe away the moisture there. "He's full of hot air."

"You were so brave," Kris said, whisper quiet, and Adam feathered soft kisses across his face, curling a hand around his jaw.

"I'm not going to let anyone talk to you like that," Adam said, his voice gentle as he gazed down at his boy. "I'm gonna take care of you, all right?"

"Yeah," Kris whispered, stretching up to press their lips together, just breathing into the kiss. "Yeah."

~

Adam pointedly ignored the gazes and glares coming from his former lunch table as he sat down with Kris a few minutes later. He recognized Allison, but the others were all unfamiliar--probably because he was the only Senior there.

"Matt," a guy across the table from him introduced himself, reaching out to shake his hand. "And this lovely lady here is Megan."

Adam smiled at the pretty blonde girl he motioned to, before tuning back into what Matt was saying.

"And this is Anoop," he continued, pointing to an Indian guy looking down at a textbook, who waved a little distractedly.

"You're taking an AP Calc class and you're a Junior?" Adam asked, a little confusedly, and Anoop nodded.

"He's a genius," Matt said, waving a dismissive hand. "Oh, and speaking of that--you'd better take good care of Kris, or Anoop will think up some plan involving you being eaten by rabid animals."

Kris choked on his food, and Allison giggled, batting at Matt. "Don't scare him!"

Adam slapped Kris on the back, worriedly grasping his shoulder, and Kris giggled once he'd cleared his throat, smiling up at him.

Allison grinned over at them, noticing the tenderness in Kris' eyes as he looked up at Adam, the emotion mirrored in the quarterback's gaze. "And anyway...I don't think that will be a problem."

~

Adam sat in the corner opposite his normal spot in 4th period, keeping to himself. Class hadn't yet started, and the other students were loud and boisterous around him.

He wasn't expecting a small figure to plop down into the desk next to him, and he started a little, looking over to meet the big, eyeliner-rimmed brown eyes of Brad Bell.

"Hey there," he chirped, smiling and flicking his hair back from his eyes. "I heard about how you stood up for me a while ago. Thank you. That was really nice of you.”

  
 

“Your welcome," Adam replied, his slightly surprised smile fading as the guys across the room snickered over at them.

"Oh, don't worry about those blockheads," Brad said, waving a dismissive hand. "They're the kind of straight guy that thinks every gay boy wants to bang them."

He paused, then, leaning closer and lowering his voice. "Lemme tell you something, honey. There's a lot more of us gays around here than you think."

He smiled dazzlingly. "I just happen to be the most fabulous of them."

He winked and scampered off to his seat when the bell rang, and Adam smiled amusedly, settling back into his chair.

A piece of paper hit his shoulder and bounced off, then, landing on the desk in front of him. He picked it up and unfolded it slowly, blinking down at it.

 _FAG._

He rolled his eyes and crumpled it up, smiling a little when Brad applauded the bank shot he made into the trashcan across the room.

~

Adam picked Kris up as soon as they made it into his house after school, spinning him around in his arms.

Kris giggled and stumbled into his arms when he released him, clinging dizzily to his chest.

"What was that for?" he laughed, looking up at him with warm eyes, a sweet smile curving his lips.

"We've made it through day one, baby," Adam murmured, curling a hand around the back of his neck. "Which means we can make it through every day from here on out."

Kris beamed up at him, wrapping his arms around Adam's waist and tipping his face up to accept his lips.

Adam swept his lover up into his arms, and Kris gasped, laughing into his mouth as the taller boy carried him up the stairs.

~

Kris groaned once more, long and low, before letting his legs go lax around Adam's waist. The taller boy echoed the noise, before relaxing down into him, panting heavily against his neck.

Kris' fingers played through Adam's sweaty hair as the older boy pressed open-mouthed kisses to his throat and shoulders, purring against his slick flesh.

"I was just thinking...." Kris murmured, a few minutes of cuddling later, "Homecoming is in a week, isn't it?"

"Yep," Adam confirmed, tongue trailing its way across his collarbone. "Why?"

"Just.... How're you gonna deal with the team?" Kris asked, and Adam propped himself up on his elbows, staring off into space.

"I've just gotta play well," Adam finally murmured, brushing his knuckles across Kris' cheek, "and deal with whatever shit they throw at me. I mean.... I guess I just gotta tell em straight up how things are, you know?"

"Sounds like a good plan to me, baby," Kris smiled, pressing a small, encouraging kiss to his lips.

He paused, then, biting his lip mischievously and arching up against him.

"You know...." he playfully murmured, into his ear, "Watching you play makes me really horny."

"Really, baby?" Adam grinned, his cock hardening again where it was still buried inside his lover, and Kris moaned a little breathlessly, squirming beneath him.

Adam chuckled once, before capturing his mouth again, pressing wet, lingering kisses to his lips as he slowly began to thrust into him again.

He reached back to hitch Kris' knee over his hip, the smaller boy's fingers tangling into his hair. He loved being with Kris like this—loved to angle himself so his cock rubbed over that sweet spot deep inside his boyfriend, making him moan.

Adam reached down to take Kris' hard length into his hand, stroking the slick, velvety flesh, and the smaller boy jerked against the sheets, thighs spread around Adam's hips.

Adam quickly brought them both to another shuddering climax, and they moaned against each other's lips as they came, Kris spurting hot and slick across Adam's fingers as Adam emptied himself deep inside his body.

They panted hard once they were finished, utterly exhausted, and Adam gingerly pulled out of Kris' body, nestling down against him.

"You're totally gonna win that game," Kris smiled, against his ear, and Adam returned the smile, indulging in a gentle slip-slide of lips.

~

Football practices all that week were...tense, to say the least.

Their coach had no clue what was going on, obviously, and his yelling was mostly ineffective as they fell out of sync. Shouting matches were a common occurrence anymore, with Adam stuck directly in the middle of them 90% of the time.

"I don't know _what's_ wrong with you boys," Coach Martin shouted, at the end of Tuesday's practice, "But you'd better _get it together_ before we play this Friday! All of you, do two laps around the field, then go!"

Adam trotted into the locker room a few minutes later, wiping sweat from his brow. He paused for a moment, glancing over at the spot where he and Kris had had their first encounter. The memory weaved its way through his head, and he smiled, turning to open his locker.

The other guys mostly let him be, besides Drew, who grabbed his bag and turned to go, still in full uniform.

"Where ya going?" Ray, one of the linebackers asked, and Drew just smirked over at Adam, as if that were explanation enough.

"Don't want certain people checking out my junk, sorry," he said, and Adam gritted his teeth, rounding on him.

"Hate to tell ya, Drew," Adam said, painting a smile across his face as he recalled Brad's words, "But not all gays want to bang you."

He paused, then, giving him a disparaging once-over. "I wouldn't touch your bigoted ass with a 30-foot pole, anyway."

Joe let out a surprised laugh beside him, snickering a little at the look Drew shot him. "Sorry, dude, but he totally just owned you."

Drew snarled at them both before stalking off, and Adam laughed a little to himself, quickly changing and gathering his stuff.

He'd just made it out of the locker room doors when a voice called after him.

"Hey, Lambert!"

Adam stopped with a sigh, turning around and bracing himself for some shit--but it was only Joe, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Hey, man," he mumbled, slowly approaching him. "Um.... I just wanted to apologize for pushing you around before."

Adam's eyebrows raised, a little surprised. "Oh, um, it's okay. That was...a tense day."

"It's just...." he continued, finally looking up at him, "You're still our quarterback, you know? And you're still...an okay guy. So, just.... Sorry."

Adam smiled a little, adjusting his bag over his shoulder. "It's okay, man. Thanks. So.... We're cool?"

"Yeah, man," Joe agreed, fist-bumping him in true jock style. "We're cool."

"Now we just have to get the rest of this fucking team in order before Friday," Adam said, and Joe laughed once, agreeing.

Maybe there was hope for this game after all.

~

Adam grabbed his helmet that Friday night with the weight of a big game laying heavy on his shoulders. The team they were playing was good.... _Really_ good.

The coach had already given them their pre-game pep talk, and now the team was Adam's to speak to, lingering behind the gate leading out to the field.

Adam dipped his head, squeezing his eyes shut and breathing deep before turning towards them all.

"Okay, guys," he started, voice firm and carrying. "This is it. I know we've been a mess, lately, but...."

He paused, making eye contact with each and every one of his teammates. "That _doesn't_ have to affect what happens here tonight."

"I know some of you have a problem with me," he continued, "and I know a few of you would love to see me make a fool of myself out there. But this is _our_ team, _our_ game. And every person on this team is your teammate, including me."

He waited a moment for his words to sink in, eyes blazing with determination. "Because right now, none of that other shit matters. If we _all_ go out there ready to play, we'll crush them."

 

He paused again, watching the pre-game adrenaline surface in the other player's eyes. "And I don't know about you, but I'm gonna go out there and put everything I have into this thing. Who's with me on that?"

"I'm with you, man," Joe said, his eyes already alight with the thrill of the game, standing by Adam's shoulder "Ray?"

"Definitely," Ray agreed, joining the circle.

One by one all of the other player's joined into the huddle, even a sulking Drew, and Adam looked at up at them all, grinning wide.

"Then let's fucking do this thing!" he shouted, over the horn and strain of band music that signaled their entrance, and he turned in sync with all the others, running out onto the grass.

~

Adrenaline was buzzing in Adam's veins, his heart beating hecticly against the walls of his chest. It was 3rd down, 25 seconds to go. They were down by a field goal--only a field goal.

Adam called the play and fell back, every nerve abuzz as he searched for an opening, anything--and then Drew was pulling away down field, open for a pass.

Adam raised his arm, the thought flashing through his mind that it would be more than easy for Drew to sabotage the game, to make it look like Adam had missed the throw--but then he was letting go, the ball leaving his fingertips a split second before he was tackled.

He shoved the guy off of him and jumped to his feet, just in time to see Drew run into the end zone.

The refs signaled the touchdown, the clock running down to zero, and then the stadium was exploding around them.

Adam jumped in victory, just in time for Joe to plow into him, smacking his helmet. Adam laughed as the rest of the team crowded around, celebrating their win as the other team headed to the sidelines.

The crowd was still applauding, and before Adam could even get his helmet off, an excited figure was running out onto the field, jumping into Adam's arms.

Adam laughed and stumbled under the unexpected weight, wrapping his arms around Kris' body and spinning him.

Kris giggled happily, pulling off Adam's helmet and throwing it aside, and then they were kissing, slow and sweet on the sidelines.

Adam cupped Kris' cheek in one big hand, pressing softly against his mouth, and Kris pulled back to grin up at him after a second, his brown eyes bright with happiness.

"Good job," he whispered, touching his face, and Adam smiled down at him, kissing him again.  



End file.
